Silk scroll painting

Silk—Paintings mean that pictures were painted on silks in Chinese ancient times, which have the history of more than 3,ooo years. The oldest ones in existence are three silk—paintings unearthed from the tumuli of State Chu during the Warring States of ancient China in Chang sha Hunan province. They are 1<Silk book of the Warring States>, in which pictures of strange animals and plants were painted around; 2<Lady, phoenix and kui (a mythical animal)>, in which flying phoenix and kui above a beautiful lady praying were painted ;3<A handsome man riding on a giant dragon >.

In West Han dynasty tumuli of Ma Wangdui in Changsha Hunan province, five other silk—paintings were come up out of land. In the pictures we can see the master of the tomb drinking, riding on horses in life and some manitous and monstrosities in traditional myth. In one of the five, some illustrations were given of Chinese Qi Gong being sturdy, providing the important materials of Chinese ancient medical history.

Those silk—paintings reached quite high level in arts, with lines being powerful and colors bright. It is obvious that the ones in Han dynasty were better than those of before Qing Dynasty. So we can say that the silk—painting art of Chinese antiquity established the foundations of Chinese traditional painting together with ancient mural—painting and lacquer—painting